The largest marathon in Kansas will take over the streets of Salina Saturday morning. Over 5,000 runners from all 50 states and at least 6 foreign countries will lace up their shoes, and run in and around Salina.
Organizers say they would like to thank the community for all of your support of this year’s Salina Crossroads Marathon on November 2nd. The race is the largest marathon event in Kansas and has received national recognition including being Top Rated on RaceRaves, the leading race finder and reviews community in the U.S. Only 3% of all events receive their “Top Rated” designation. The Salina Crossroads Marathon has more than 5200 registered runners from all 50 states, Australia, Canada, Denmark, Mexico, Japan, Switzerland, and The United Kingdom. The Salina Crossroads Marathon was selected by Team Take Down, an African American running club with members in all fifty states as well as other countries, for their annual USA MeetUp event and looks forward to hosting nearly 200 of their members.
The Salina Crossroads Marathon will impact travel in the community so we hope this map will help you plan your travel on November 2nd. Last year’s race created a visitor economic impact of $1,020,000 and we provided $35,700 to the Salina Burn Track and Field Club, Salina Family YMCA, Kansas Youth Sports, Salina Area Youth Sportsmanship Initiative, and School Marathon Foundation. Thanks to more than 50 sponsors/supporters the Salina Crossroads Marathon is one of the only marathons in Kansas that provides 100% of the race entry fees to local nonprofit organizations. We appreciate your patience and understanding on race day that allows us to make this type of impact for our community. For those interested in participating or watching the race we encourage you to check out the 2024 Salina Crossroads Marathon Runner Guide on our website https://www.runsalinacrossroads.com/. It contains important information on race day schedule, parking maps, a map of the course, and recommended spectator spots. The Salina Crossroads Marathon would like to say a special thank you to the City of Salina, The Salina Area Chamber of Commerce, Salina Downtown Inc., our amazing sponsors, and the 250+ volunteers that have helped the Salina Crossroads Marathon grow to be the largest marathon event in Kansas in just three years. We look forward to the visitor economic impact that having thousands of runners in our community will have and the opportunity to showcase what a beautiful city Salina is. We are proud to be a “Gold Standard” race and look forward to being able to provide 100% of the race entry fees to five local youth sports organizations again this year.
Check-in & Packet Pickup
Athlete check-in and packet pick-up will occur at Homewood Suites (115 E. Mulberry) on Friday, Nov 1st from 10:00am to 8:00pm. Packets may also be picked up on race day from 6:00am to 7:45am at the Salina Fieldhouse (140 N. 5th St.) which is very close to the start/finish line.
The Start/Finish Line/Post Race Festival will be held at City Light Stage (199 N. Santa Fe) which is on the corner of Ash Street and Santa Fe Avenue.
Race Day Schedule
6:00a.m.-7:30a.m. Late registration/packet pickup at the Salina Fieldhouse
7:50a.m. National Anthem & Announcements
8:00a.m. Marathon, Half-Marathon, Full Relay, & Half Relay races begin
8:10a.m. 5k Fun Run/Walk begins
9:30a.m. 5k Awards Ceremony (City Lights Stage)
10:45a.m. Half Marathon & Half Relay Awards Ceremony (City Lights Stage)
12:15p.m. Kid’s Half-Mile race begins (Changed From 11:00am)
12:00p.m. Marathon & Full Relay Awards Ceremony (City Lights Stage)
2:00p.m. Race Course Closure
Lead Car
The lead car for the 2024 Salina Crossroads Marathon is a 1974 DeTomaso Pantera. It is an Italian-designed supercar powered by an all-American 351 CID V8. A highly uncommon supercar that packs a real punch! Thank you the Garage for providing this year’s lead car!
Race Fun Facts
· There are 5215 registered runners from all 50 states, Australia, Canada, Denmark, Mexico, Japan, Switzerland, and The United Kingdom.
· Three events have more than 1000 registered runners each. Half marathon has 2656, marathon has 1123, and 5K has 1059.
· The 2023 Salina Crossroads Marathon had the highest percentage of Boston Marathon qualifiers of any marathon in Kansas.
About the Salina Crossroads Marathon
The Salina Crossroads Marathon began when two local runners (Chris Lehecka and Daniel Craig) started visiting about what it would look like for Salina to have a high-quality marathon and half marathon race. The City of Salina helped develop a fun and scenic course that minimized disruptions to traffic and parking in Downtown Salina. The Salina Crossroads Marathon planning committee includes individuals in the nonprofit and for-profit sectors as well as local runners. The goals of the Salina Crossroads Marathon are to have a high-quality race that can bring in runners from across the United States, provide 100% of the race entry fees to local organizations, and provide fun family friendly events so the entire community can come be a part of a USATF Certified and Boston Qualifying Marathon weekend.
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For more information about the Salina Crossroads Marathon check out the website at runsalinacrossroads.com or follow us on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1469896640070189.
